Census-designated place
A census-designated place (abbreviated, CDP) is a type of place (a concentration of population) identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities and villages. CDPs are communities that lack separate municipal government, but which otherwise physically resemble incorporated places. CDPs are delineated to provide data for settled concentrations of population that are identifiable by name but are not legally incorporated under the laws of the state in which they are located. The boundaries of a CDP have no legal status.United States Census Area Description The U.S. Census bureau states that census-designated places are not considered to be incorporated places.TCities with 100,000 or More Population in 2000 ranked by Population per Square Mile, 2000 in Alphabetic Order History The Census Bureau reported data for some unincorporated places as early as the 1850 Census, though usage continued to evolve through the 1890 Census, in which, for the first time, the Census mixed unincorporated places with incorporated places in its products with "town" as its label. This made it confusing to determine which of the "towns" were or were not incorporated. The 1900 through 1930 Censuses did not report data for unincorporated places. For the 1940 Census, the Census Bureau compiled a separate report of unofficial, unincorporated communities of 500 or more people. The Census Bureau officially defined this category as "unincorporated places" in the 1950 Census. For the 1950 Census, these types of places were identified only outside urbanized areas. In 1960, the Census Bureau also identified unincorporated places inside urbanized areas, but with a population of at least 10,000. For the 1970 Census, the population threshold for "unincorporated places" in urbanized areas was reduced to 5,000. For the 1980 Census, the designation was changed to "census-designated places". For the 1990 Census, the population threshold for CDPs in urbanized areas was reduced to 2,500. From 1950 through 1990, the Census Bureau specified other population requirements for unincorporated places or CDPs in Alaska, Puerto Rico, island areas, and Native American reservations. Minimum population criteria for CDPs were dropped with the 2000 Census. The Census Bureau's Participant Statistical Areas Program (PSAP) allows designated participants to review and suggest modifications to the boundaries for CDPs."Participant Statistical Areas Program (PSAP)", U.S. Census Bureau, accessed 2008-03-09 The PSAP will be offered to county and municipal planning agencies during 2008. Effects of designation and examples The boundaries of such places may be defined in cooperation with local or tribal officials, but are not fixed, and do not affect the status of local government or incorporation; the territories thus defined are strictly statistical entities. CDP boundaries may change from one census to the next to reflect changes in settlement patterns. Further, as statistical entities, the boundaries of the CDP may not correspond with local understanding of the area with the same name. Recognized communities may be divided into two or more CDPs while on the other hand, two or more communities may be combined into one CDP. A CDP may also cover the unincorporated part of a named community where the rest lies within an incorporated place. By defining an area as a CDP, that locality then appears in the same category of census data as incorporated places. This distinguishes CDPs from other census classifications, such as minor civil divisions (MCDs), which are in a separate category. The population and demographics of the CDP district are included in the data of county subdivisions containing the CDP. In no case is a CDP defined within the boundaries of what the Census Bureau regards to be an incorporated city or village. However, the Census Bureau considers charter townships as MCDs, even though they are incorporated municipalities in those Michigan. Purpose of designation There are a number of reasons for the CDP designation: * The area may be more urban than its surroundings, having a concentration of population with a definite residential nucleus, such as Whitmore Lake. * A formerly incorporated place may disincorporate or be partly annexed by a neighboring town, but the former town or a part of it may still be reported by the census as a CDP by meeting criteria for a CDP. An example is the former village of Oscoda and neighboring Au Sable. * The CDP designation may apply to large military bases (or parts of a military base) that are not within the boundaries of any existing community. * In some cases, a CDP may be defined for the urbanized area surrounding an incorporated municipality, but which is outside the municipal boundaries, for example . The USGS places the nucleus of Bostonia within El Cajon. The Bostonia CDP covers the greater El Cajon area in unincorporated San Diego County that is generally north of that part of Bostonia within El Cajon. * The Census Bureau treats all [[townships as unincorporated places, even in those states where townships are incorporated under state law. This is so even in those states (i.e., Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey and South Dakota) where the Census Bureau acknowledges that "All townships are actively functioning governmental units."http://www.census.gov/geo/www/GARM/Ch8GARM.pdf As a result, this policy includes charter townships. * In some states, a CDP may be defined within an incorporated municipality that (for the purposes of the census) is regarded as a minor civil division. * Some CDPs represent an aggregation of several nearby communities, for example Shorewood-Tower Hills-Harbert. However, the Census Bureau has proposed to discontinue this method for the 2010 Census.Census Designated Place (CDP) Program for the 2010 Census - Proposed Criteria, Federal Register, April 6, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 66), accessed April 12, 2007. * Hawai'i is the only state that has no incorporated places recognized by the U.S. Census Bureau below the county level. All data for places in Hawaii reported by the census are CDPs. *In some states, the Census Bureau may designate an entire minor civil division (MCD) as a CDP (for example West Bloomfield Township). Such designations are used in states where the MCDs function with strong governmental authority and provide services equivalent to an census-recognized incorporated municipalities (such as a charter township). MCDs appear in a separate category in census data from places (i.e., incorporated places and CDPs); however, such MCDs strongly resemble incorporated places, and so CDPs coterminous with the MCDs are defined so that such places appear in both categories of census data. This practice, however, will no longer be used in the 2010 Census. Notes and references Further reading * U.S. Census Bureau, Geography Division, "Cartographic Boundary Files", Census-designated place. Cartographic Operations Branch, July 18, 2001. * U.S. Census Bureau, "Census 2000 Statistical Areas Boundary Criteria", Census Designated Places (CDPs) - Census 2000 Criteria. * U.S. Census Bureau, Geographic Areas Reference Manual, United States Department of Commerce. Category:Census-designated places Category:Censuses Category:Communities